Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Episode 1 Recap
> Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Recap
Children ran through the streets, singing a childish rhyme: "Under the bamboo, bestow the Emperor. Marry a Fu girl, become the emperor." A carriage carrying the Fu family's elder daughter, Fu Yuzhan, and younger daughter, Fu Jinzhan, stopped. General Zhang dismounted, instructing the children not to sing the rhyme anymore and offering them money. Fu Yuzhan told Jinzhan that in the capital, besides Prince Wei, who else would dare to be known by the surname Fu throughout the land?
She explained that such a rhyme could spark suspicion, and its truth depended on the listener's belief, advising caution. As it was the day of the Princess Royal’s banquet for the inner family members of capital officials at the Imperial Garden, Fu Yuzhan reminded Jinzhan not to be late.
She instructed Qingge to accompany Jinzhan into the inner city and warned her not to wander around or challenge the Imperial Guards to a fight in the palace, threatening to confiscate all her weapons if she disobeyed, fearing Jinzhan’s impulsive temper might cause serious trouble. Meanwhile, Prince Jin Xue Rong arrived at the palace to pay his respects to Emperor Xue Wei. The Emperor asked if the envoy from Pengze had been received.
Xue Rong noted that Pengze only sent a minor envoy, indicating a lack of sincerity for talks. He suggested that sending merely an Assistant Minister for Ceremonial to greet him would suffice, rather than a high-ranking Minister for Ceremonial. Xue Rong also brought up the circulating rhyme about "marrying a Fu girl to become the emperor," speculating it could be baseless rumors or a deliberate attempt to stir up trouble.
He urged his father to investigate if it was the latter, to uncover the mastermind and their conspiracy before it could threaten the throne. Emperor Xue Wei dismissed his concerns, confidently asserting that only he could decide the succession of Lingyang's throne. Later, Fu Jinzhan encountered Pengze's envoy, He Zhengwen, bullying a Lingyang soldier, falsely accusing him of stealing his archer's thumb ring.
Even after an attendant informed He Zhengwen that the ring was found at his post-house, the envoy remained aggressive. Unable to tolerate the injustice, Fu Jinzhan cunningly outsmarted and struck him, knocking out a tooth. Infuriated, He Zhengwen swore to have the Lingyang Emperor condemn her entire clan. Fu Jinzhan and Fu Yuzhan attended the Princess Royal's banquet.
He Zhengwen then presented himself before Emperor Xue Wei, his face bruised, accusing someone of assaulting and publicly humiliating him at the post-house, demanding an explanation from the Emperor. Xue Wei dispatched Li Fang to investigate within the inner city and bring the culprit to the Hall. Prince Wei Fu Yanxin was shocked to see his daughter, Fu Jinzhan.
Jinzhan confessed to hitting the envoy, explaining that he had falsely accused an innocent guard and resorted to private corporal punishment, disregarding the law. The Emperor, however, prioritized treating guests with respect and ordered Fu Jinzhan to be given fifty floggings as punishment. At that moment, Fu Yuzhan entered the Hall, bringing the beaten soldier as a witness. After the soldier testified about He Zhengwen's false accusation and violence, Fu Yuzhan eloquently argued that the envoy was at fault.
She stressed that being on Lingyang territory required adherence to Lingyang laws, and that He Zhengwen's behavior disgraced Pengze. Treating it as a misunderstanding, the Emperor then pardoned Fu Jinzhan from her punishment. Emperor Xue Wei learned that He Zhengwen’s official mission was to negotiate the return of Sanjia City, but his true purpose was to propose marriage for Prince Cheng Liu Chengfu.
Noting the envoy’s arrogant and duplicitous conduct, Xue Rong offered to lead troops to reclaim Sanjia City, emphasizing that Lingyang, despite being militarily weaker than Pengze, should not compromise its imperial dignity by marrying off Prince Wei’s daughter. However, Xue Wei saw an opportunity. Since Prince Cheng Liu Chengfu was responsible for guarding the Lingyang-Pengze border and was seemingly influenced by the "Fu girl empress" rhyme, the Emperor decided to betroth a Fu daughter to him.
On the wedding day, if the brave Fu daughter could assassinate Liu Chengfu, Lingyang's army could seize the chaos to control Jincheng, a crucial border fortress. Capturing Jincheng would allow Lingyang to either exchange it for Sanjia City or keep it, giving Lingyang the strategic advantage. Xue Wei then ordered Prince Jin Xue Rong to lead troops to assist the Fu daughter in eliminating Liu Chengfu.
Upon Princess Shou’an’s return to the palace, she, the Princess Royal, and Commander of the Imperial Guards Li Huaijin all came to greet the Emperor. The Princess Royal, believing Xue Rong to be a bastard without Xue family blood, constantly sought to undermine him, wishing for her son, Li Huaijin, to become the crown prince. Prince Wei informed his two daughters about the secret mission: to go to Jincheng under the guise of marriage and assassinate Liu Chengfu.
Fu Yuzhan decided she would undertake the mission, prioritizing the capture of Jincheng and making the assassination a secondary goal. She argued that while Fu Jinzhan possessed martial skills, her impetuous nature made her susceptible to detection, risking the failure of Prince Jin's entire mission. Despite Fu Jinzhan’s insistence, Fu Yuzhan proposed a contest: whoever could discreetly obtain Prince Jin's sachet would go. Fu Yuzhan cleverly orchestrated events, and Jinzhan, falling for her sister's ruse, ultimately lost.
Thus, Fu Yuzhan won the right to accompany Prince Jin on the marriage mission. Unbeknownst to the daughters, Prince Jin was conflicted. The Emperor had secretly commanded him to kill Liu Chengfu, and then also eliminate Fu Yuzhan, citing that her intelligence made her unsuitable for empress given the pervasive "Fu girl empress" rumor. After her death, Prince Jin was to marry Fu Jinzhan, thereby cementing his future as the Emperor of Lingyang.
The Princess Royal, independently plotting against Fu Yuzhan, instructed her maid to find someone unrelated to her household to prevent Fu Yuzhan from reaching Jincheng. Meanwhile, Fu Jinzhan, still dissatisfied, secretly added a sleeping draft to her sister's tea. As Fu Yuzhan prepared for her wedding, Jinzhan offered her the tea to "moisten her throat" and sent away the maid, Lanpei, to check on the sedan chair, allowing her to take her sister's place.
Fu Yuzhan awoke to find that Jinzhan had drugged her and taken her place in the marriage sedan. Realizing this was a crime of deceiving the Emperor, Fu Yuzhan immediately asked her father to order General Zhang to escort her to pursue the marriage procession. She stressed the importance of keeping this secret among the household staff, as the entire Fu family's survival was at stake.
The marriage escorts, led by Prince Jin, halted for a brief rest, as ordered by Huang Jian. Feeling restless and stifled inside the sedan chair, Fu Jinzhan got out to get some fresh air in a bamboo grove. As she lifted her veil, she was suddenly knocked unconscious.
